Chinese School REGISTRATION IS Now CLOSED!

BUT there is a one day book fair OPEN TO ALL coming 11/22/08 from 10am-1pm.
View the Book Fair Poster

Ni hao, friends,

It’s always hard to say goodbye to summer, so that’s especially true for our Beijing-Olympics summer. Wasn’t it fun to get a little daily peek into China? Wasn’t it great to learn more about Chinese culture?

Let’s not stop! This year, we’re going to have Chinese games of our own – on the playground. From youngest to oldest, our students will have the chance to get out in the sunshine and play games that kids have always played in China.

We’re also going to explore Chinese culture through our new You Yi Qiao -- which means Friendship Bridge -- Cultural Center, for grades four and older. One of our challenges is staying flexible for our oldest students as they grow into busier schedules. So we’re launching a Saturday morning experience in which each student can design the individualized program that fits best. Students can choose among language and dance classes. They can relax into the friendly atmosphere of the brush-painting studio. They can participate in a rotation of workshops that will explore everything from rocket science to how to make scallion pancakes.

One of the truths we’ve come to recognize through the years is that our most valuable offering at the school is…being together. What binds us most is friendship. We want to make the school a place where friendships that begin in the early years can flourish through adolescence and beyond.

In that spirit of friendship and community, you’re invited to a prelude pancake breakfast on October 4 at the Applebee’s on Brighton Avenue. This is a chance for the Steering Committee to welcome new families and welcome everyone back. It’s a chance for you to share ideas and inspirations with us and to reunite with dear friends. It’s also – importantly – a chance for fund-raising. Thanks to Applebee’s generosity, all proceeds will help the school meet the challenges of the economic tightening we’re all experiencing.

You’ll see that we’ve had to raise our fees a little this year, something we are always reluctant to do. But our expenses spiked significantly, and we need to protect the stability of the school. As always, any hardship should be brought to our attention so we can quietly make sure we include everyone who wishes to be part of the school.

Remember, the hard-and-fast deadline for registration is September 25. Please help us launch the year smoothly. And we’ll try to keep it running that way through fall and into spring.

Welcome back!

Kelli Pryor
Chair
For the Steering Committee